Kenyan musician Bahati has stepped into the spotlight for more than his music this week, after a video of him reaching out to struggling former Gengetone star Maddox went viral.
The gospel-turned-secular artist not only offered food and shopping to the embattled ex-Boondocks Gang member but also pledged to help revive his music career.
Maddox, once a key member of Boondocks Gang alongside Exray and Odi wa Murang’a, was part of the group that helped pioneer Gengetone — a raw, youthful, and street-rooted sound that took Kenya by storm in the late 2010s.
Tracks like Rieng and Kidolee pushed the genre into mainstream rotation, with Maddox playing his part in shaping the movement.
But in recent years, Maddox has slipped from the limelight.
Reports of financial trouble, struggles with alcohol, and a disconnect from the royalties and earnings of his music have circulated widely. Fellow artists, including Odi wa Murang’a, have acknowledged trying to support him, though with little success.
By July 2025, concerns had reached a peak when videos of Maddox looking disoriented and malnourished circulated online, sparking alarm among fans and fellow musicians.
Against this backdrop, Bahati’s intervention felt timely. Meeting Maddox in Nairobi, Bahati took him for a meal after learning he had gone three days without eating. The pair shared pizza and chicken in what Bahati described as a “heart-to-heart” conversation.
Later, Bahati accompanied Maddox to a supermarket where he bought groceries including maize flour, sugar, cooking oil, rice, and bread to stock his kitchen. The gesture, captured on video, showed Maddox visibly relieved and grateful for the support.
Beyond immediate needs, Bahati also offered to pay for Maddox to record new music — on one condition: that he cuts down on drinking.
The gesture triggered an outpouring of support online. Fans lauded Bahati for not just talking about the state of Kenyan music but taking tangible action to support a fellow artist.
Others noted that Bahati’s action went beyond publicity, showing empathy for an artist who had once contributed to Kenya’s cultural soundscape.
Even before Bahati’s gesture, industry peers had tried to intervene. Odi wa Murang’a admitted earlier this year that he had repeatedly attempted to help Maddox, especially in addressing his alcohol use, but with limited progress.
Maddox himself has accused former managers of failing to support him or account for his music earnings, leaving him financially stranded.